Healthy + Happy #5: Has milk lost its place in schools?
Has milk lost its place in schools?
Next week is Food Allergy Awareness Week. Today, 1 in 13 children (about 2 per U.S. classroom) have a food allergy. Many schools have banned allergenic foods like peanuts and treenuts, but one common culprit remains: cow’s milk. Why?
In order for schools to receive federal reimbursement, the National School Lunch Act of 1946 requires schools to offer dairy milk, claiming it to be a “measure of national security to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation's children."
The American Medical Association has called for milk to be considered optional in USDA dietary guidelines and introduced a policy to lift the requirement for kids to provide a doctor’s note to receive a milk alternative at school. Why?
Milk is one of the top allergenic foods in the U.S., and milk allergies remain on the rise.
Lactose intolerance symptoms can affect school and extracurricular performance.
Lactose intolerance disproportionately affects kids of color, which has led to claims of racial bias in federal nutrition policies.
Genetics plays a role in whether you can digest lactose. Approximately 65% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant.
In the News
School food round-up.
Schools can still apply for limited school nutrition waivers.
Interested in learning more about school food? Check out this comprehensive primer. The Chef Ann Foundation offers a toolkit for advocacy including an extensive education section.
According to the CDC, kids, on average, consume 170 percent of the recommended limit of sugar. Sugary breakfast foods in school meals are increasing that number and impacting kids’ health. If you want to help remove sugary breakfast options from school meals, you can sign this petition.
National School Lunch Hero Day is May 6. Join us in celebrating school nutrition professionals today (and every day)!
Spring is in the air!
Gardening can have enormous benefits for kids. An unexpected leader in this area? Public libraries. You can "check out" seeds (like books) in virtually every state. Find seeds near you.
It’s National Bike Month, and Outride, a non-profit dedicated to improving the lives of youth through cycling, is here to help your family enjoy the benefits of cycling at home.
Spring sports are set to start, but there may not be enough referees. The source? Toxic behavior — more specifically, bad behavior from parents. And refs are throwing in their whistles.
Help your teen with their mental health.
The teen mental health crisis has left many parents feeling helpless. One way to help your teen: movement. Exercise can reduce anxiety and depression. Mayo Clinic and Aspen Institute’s Project Play have suggestions for how to increase movement. The key? Find activities your kids enjoy. Don’t know where to start? Ask your kids questions like these.
Events, Happenings and Opportunities
Life Time Foundation is hiring an Executive Director based in Chanhassen, Minnesota.
Life Time Foundation is hiring a Program Analyst based in Chanhassen, Minnesota, or Denver, Colorado.
Laveen School District in Phoenix is seeking to hire a Nutritionist.
Have other national events or grant opportunities you'd like us to highlight? Let us know.
We hope you enjoyed Healthy + Happy. As always, please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or thoughts.
Sincerely,
The Life Time Foundation Team